A Shinobi Story
by PainetheSamurai
Summary: A story about a shinobi named Youko and her fellow shinobi. NO FLAMERS! Please R&R!
1. Konohagure Memories

_"Another rainy day...I hate the rain!" A young girl about the age of nine sat on the muddy ground, trying to catch her breath. "Of all days, Sensei picked today to torture us!"_

_"Stop complaining, Youko!" A boy around the same age as the young girl walked over to her sat down down. "You wanna be a shinobi, right? Well you have to train, and train HARD. No matter if it's rain or shine. I hate the rain just as much as you do but...we gotta just tugh it out."_

_"Yeah...I guess you're right. But still, sometimes I get so frustrated with myself because I'm so weak..."_

_"No, that isn't true, Youko! You're the strongest out of us all! I heard Sensei say it himself so so himself when he was speaking with the Hokage."_

_"...Really?"_

_He nodded. "Really." He stood, brushed off his clothes and held out his hand to help Youko to her feet. "C'mon...we should get back to our training before Sensei finds us here slacking off..."_

_Youko firmly grasped his hand and pulled herself up. "Yeah...wait...speaking of slacking off; where's Umino?"_

_"You mean Iruka? I'm surprised you even know he exists. This actually the first time I've seen you having a conversation with someone."_

_"His 'reputation' proceeds, to say the least...you know, we've been in the same squad for almost a month now, yet I don't know your name. Kinda silly isn't it?"_

_He laughed lightly and brushed his silver toned hair from his face. "It's Hatake Kakashi. And speaking of Iruka, what do you think of him?"_

_"Well...he's alright. I just wish he'd stop hitting on me. Oh well...I guess he just doesn't get it. There's only one guy for me." Youko smiled and walked over to a tree covered in horizontal slash marks._

_"Is that so? And who's that exactly?"_

_"I'm not telling you, Kakashi!" She stuck her tongue at at him and laughed. She then pulled her kunai from out of the tree. **Ok...all I have to do is focus my chakra to the bottom of my feet, just like Sensei said...** Youko held her hands together infront of her and began to meditate. A few seconds later, a small ring of energy flashed around her feet, then dispersed. **This time...I'll go straight to the top.** She then charged at the tree at full force and began to run up the side as if she were still on soid ground. It had begun to rain harder and the wind had picked up, considerably. But she still continued to climb higher and higher up._

_Youko had nearly reached the top when suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the tree, knocking her clear off and on a collision course with a large, bulky tree. Whilst in mid-air, she began to focus her chakra to her feet; the tree becoming dangerously close._

_She closed her eyes and tried to relax. **I've only got one chance to make this work...or I'm a goner.** When only seconds away from colliding head-on into the tree, she turned over, feet front, and planted herself firmly onto the side of the tree. When she had opened her eyes, she saw Kakashi looking up at her in astonishment._

_"Youko...you did it!"_

_"I did? ...I DID! I knew I could do it!" Youko jumped down and brushed herself off. "This calls for a ramen party!"_

_"Well...who's paying?"_

_A tall man in a Jounin uniform stepped out from behind a tree and walked over to Youko. "I will...you two deserve it. You both have been training very hard and I've decided that you both are in fact ready for the Chuunin exams coming up."_

_"R-really? No way! You mean it!" Kakashi jumped up and ran up to him._

_"Wait, Sensei, what about Iruka? He has to do the Chuunin exam with us also but he hasn't done anything at all!"_

_"I know that. But the Hokage has made an exception. So it'll be just you two. Iruka is going back to the academy, and will start all over..." Sensei pointed over his shoulder at Iruka who was dangling upside by one foot from a tree._

_"That isn't fair, Sensei! I'm way better than Kakashi and Youko! I deserve to take the Chuunin exams!"_

_"C'mon guys. Let's go get something to eat. You two must be starving..." Completely ignoring Iruka, Sensei turned and walked off. Kakashi smirked in Iruka's direction and ran in behind Sensei._

_Youko walked up to Iruka and cut him down. He hit the ground with a thud and screamed in pain. "Damnit! Couldn't you have atleast caught me!"_

_"Yes...but you deserved it, since you're too lazy to put your heart and soul into becoming a true shinobi. Iruka, you're so talented...yet you don't take seriousness into what you're doing, and...I don't understand why." _

_Iruka looked away from her and sat up. "I'm tired of trying to prove myself...I give up on being a ninja."_

_Youko sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear that. You would've been a great shinobi, Iruka. But none the less, I had fun hanging out with you and Kakashi...well..whenever you were actually around. I guess I'll see you later..." Youko kissed him lightly on the cheek and ran off to catch up with Sensei and Kakashi._

_He blushed a deep red and watched Youko and the others until they were out of sight. **You would've been a great shinobi, Iruka...** Those words rang throughout Iruka's mind while he walked deeper into the forest. "I'll try again...Just for her sake and mine. And this time, I won't fail..."_


	2. Rivals for life

hi everyone! i hope you all liked my first chapter of my new series. if you have noticed, everything was in italics. thats because the first few chapters are the memories of one of the main characters. around the 4th or 5th chapter if i ever get that far... it'll be around present time! anyways! enjoy my second chappie folks!

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"Youko? Hey, Youko, did you hear me?"

_"Huh? What? You say somethin' Kakashi?"_

_"Youko you've been acting strange lately. Is there something on your mind?"_

_"Well...actually, yes. I've been wondering how Iruka has been for these past couple of months. I haven't seen him in a while. Do you think that he's really given up on being a shinobi?"_

_"I wouldn't be surprised. He's never really succeeded in anything throughout his entire life so he probably just gave himself a reality check and decided to just give up."_

_Youko sighed deeply and stared down into her bowl of hot, steaming ramen. _

_"Maybe so but...I'd hate to see him leave us like that. He's such a nice kid. A little stupid at times but it's safe to say that he's one of the nicest kids I know."_

_"Aww! What a nice thing to say Youko-kun! I think that you're nice too!"_

_Kakashi and Youko spun quickly around in their chairs at the boy standing behind them in the entrance of the ramen shop. "Of course, I didn't really like that whole 'stupid' comment..."_

_**Well, speak of the devil, it's Iruka...I should've known... **Kakashi thought to himself frowning slightly._

_"Hey there Iruka. It's nice to actually see ya again. So, have you decided on going bak to the academy?"_

_"Yeah for like the third time in a row..." murmured Kakashi under his breath._

_"I heard that you asshole! And I've done even better than just going back to the academy!"_

_"How so, Iruka-kun?" Youko stood smiling at him. _

_Iruka pulled off his rain-soaked hood and held up a notice, from the Hokage, stating that "...Umino Iruka has proven himself worthy of taking the Chuunin exams with his teammates Mitsurugi Youko and Hatake Kakashi"._

_"Iruka I knew you could do it! Congrats!" Youko jumped up and down frantically yelling "congradulations!" all over place while Kakashi just stood there...dumbstruck..._

_**Impossible! He's just some idiot! How could HE of all people be accepted to take the Chuunin exams? This doesn't make sense! This doesn't make any sense at all!**_

_"Thanks, Youko. But really it was because of you that I didn't give up..." Iruka smiled and took Youko's hands in his. "So I just wanted to say thank you...for everything. You were the only one who's ever believed in me; the ONLY one."_

_"Aww shucks, Iruka-kun. I'm sure anyone else would've done the same."_

_"That's bullshit and you know it, Youko! No one cares about me...that is...except you. Thank you for being there for me Youko...I really appreciate it."_

_"Ok! That's enough!" Kakashi grabbed Youko by her shoulders and pulled her away from Iruka. "Ok wise guy, now how, exactly, did you get permission to take the Chuunin exams when you clearly don't deserve to?"_

_"He said it already, Kakashi. He trained extremely hard and he got special permission from the Hokage. Why are you getting so upset, Kakashi?"_

_"Yeah, Kakashi? Why so upset? Are ya jealous?" Iruka smirked and rested his arm across Youko's shoulders. "There's no need to get all testy. All that matters is that I get to take the test and we get to hang out again; just the three of us!"_

_"Yep! And just in time for the Tanabata festival. It starts next week ya know. Aren't we lucky?"_

_**Yeah...lucky if Iruka could just drop dead...**_

_"Speaking of the festival, I need to go look for a new kimono. You guys wanna come along?"_

_"Of course Youko-chan. Nothing could possibaly make me happier!" Iruka and Youko laughed lightly and locked arms._

_"Kakashi-kun, are ya coming with us?" Youko asked, tugging on his sleeve._

_"No...I have some stuff to take care of. You guys go ahead." Kakashi yanked his arm away from Youko and walked off into the warm, spring rain._

_"Um..ok! I'll just see you later then!" She called back after him. But he seemed to didn't acknowledge her._

_"Forget him. Let's get going, Youko-chan!" Iruka opened up an umbrela and started walking her down the road in the opposite direction of Kakashi. "And since you've been so nice to me, I'll even buy the kimono for you!"_

_"Thanks, but no thanks, Iruka. I think I can manage."_

_"Oh well. Suit yourself!"_

_**I've never seen Kakashi act this way before...could he really be jealous of Iruka? **Youko looked back in Kakashi's direction and sighed. **He'll get over it...he always does. **She smiled and turned back facing front._

_**Stupid Iruka...hanging all over Youko like that! Just who the hell does he think he is?** Kakashi thought to himself, throwing rocks into the lake. **He's so oblivious...he doesn't even realize that she isn't interested in him! Wait...why do I care? He's just some poor, stupid little kid! A girl like her would never be interested in a jerk like him! ...But just to be safe...I have to get Youko to like me by the end of the festival next week before he does! Then I could rub it in his face!**_

_"Operation: Payback will prove to Youko that I'm better than him in every possible way..."_


End file.
